Section 1 - CHEMICAL PRODUCT AND COMPANY IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME

KIMBERLY-CLARK UNBLEACHED BISULFITE PULP - PINE

NFPA

PRODUCT USE

Tissue manufacture, reinforcement for composites.

SYNONYMS

"tissue paper", "domestic wipes", tissues, towels, napkins, reinforcement, "for
composites"

Section 2 - HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

CANADIAN WHMIS SYMBOLS

EMERGENCY OVERVIEW

RISK

POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS

ACUTE HEALTH EFFECTS

SWALLOWED

  Not normally a hazard due to physical form of product.  

EYE

  Not normally a hazard due to physical form of product.  

INHALED

  Inhalation may produce health damage*.  Not normally a hazard due to non-volatile nature of product.  

CHRONIC HEALTH EFFECTS

  The principal routes of exposure are by skin contact with the material.  Inhalation studies indicate that cellulose fibres may be fibrogenic; this finding continues to be the subject of extensive research. Cellulose is not considered an inert substance because:  ·  in rats, it causes granulomatous fibrosing alveolitis at the end of the third month after exposure,  · in rats there was an increase in the secretion of plasminogen activator and interleukin 1 as well as the release of lactate dehydrogenase from macrophages, in a manner similar to asbestos,  · there were increases in the incidence of obstructive lung diseases and bronchial asthma in humans at work and in the residential environment where exposure to cellulose was common,  · the substance may induce free radical production in human leucocytes.  Cotton dust disease, "byssinosis", is well known among cotton mill workers. Cotton dust consists largely of cellulose fibre. Exposure to two components of the total dust, the "respirable" and "medium" fraction correlated significantly with the prevalence of respiratory symptoms. Inhalation exposure to a concentration of 0.3 to 0.4 mg/m3 of "fly-  free" dust results in a 20% occurrence of byssinosis. "Fly-free" dust is the sum of respirable and medium-length fibres. At 0.46 mg/m3, Grade II byssinosis occurs. A byssinosis (all grades) prevalence of 20%, at 0.3 mg/m3 occurs when the fibre length is less than 15 um (aerodynamic equivalent diameter). Byssinosis is not caused by mechanical irritation but by reactions caused by pharmacologically active substances producing oedema or contraction of the smooth musculature of the airways. The causative agent is suspected to be an endotoxin, in turn, thought to be a cell wall component of bacteria found in cotton. Symptoms of byssinosis include chest tightness, wheezing and dyspnoea. Symptoms usually appear after an absence from work and may subside after 2-days of exposure. As the disease progresses, symptoms may persist for longer periods until they are constant. The individual may eventually exhibit chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Increased physical exertion may produce shortness of breath.